Leather-stretcher dropping device.



C. B. LEONARD.

LEATHER STRETCHER DROPPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZI. 1914.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

WITNESSES W ATTORNEY THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON, D. c

' To all whom it may concern:

parts in all UNI D STATES LEATHER-STRETCHER DROPPING DEVICE.

Application filed May 21, 1

Be it known that I, GHAnLns B. LEONARD, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leather- Stretcher Dropping Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This device is intended to promote the handling of leather stretching boards and is so constructed that the board may be placed in position by a single operator. In the past the leather stretching boards or planks have been provided with means by which they may be engaged upon an overhead track for the purpose of conveying them to and from a leather stretching machine. The work of disengaging them from the track and placing them upon the leather stretching machine, because of the weight of the boards and clampscontained thereon, has usually been accomplished with much difficulty and by the aid of one or two additional assistants and even then the task was not an easy one and the placing of the boards in proper position required considerable adjustment, man-handling and manipulation. j j r I have provided a means that will be fully described for accomplishing this work in a very rapid and complete manner, a means that may be operated by a single person and 7 without much difficulty.

My method consists in the employment of what I term a dropping device arranged in line with the leather stretching machine and carrying a portion of the overhead track.

The construction, operation, and advantages to be gained by my device will be fully described as the specification progresses.

The following is what I consider the best means of carrving out this invention.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1. shows an elevation of my device together with certain portions of a leather stretching machine with which it is adapted to operate. Fig. 2. shows the device in a vertical position ready for operation; Fig. 3. shows my device being raised or lowered from or to a vertical position.

Similar reference numerals indicate like the figures where they appear.

As it is not necessary to change or modify the construction of the leather stretching machine, I haveonlv shownaportion 10f Specification of Letterslatent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

914. Serial No. 839,925.

oneend of the machine and I have indicated bythe numeral 1 all of the leather stretc ing machine that will be found in the drawing. This machine is firm in construction and is provided with certain mechanical devices by means of which the necessary tension may be applied to the leather.

The leather to be stretched is secured upon a plank or board 2, which is provided with a plurality of clamps, the clamps 3 are secured to the board and closely adjacent to one end thatI will term the outer end of the board. The clamps 4c are adjustable upon the board to a position that will be determined by the tension applied and the ability of the leather to stretch. The board may also be supplied with supporting webs or cross-bars 5-5. At the inner end of the board a metallic member is secured'which forms an eye as indicated at 6 into which a l10OK 7 may be engaged and it is by the means of the eye 6 and hook 7 that the board is suspended from a traveler 8. This traveler consists of a wheel operable upon a suitably arranged overhead track 9 and when it is desired to transfer or transport the board 2 from or to the stretching machine it is engaged upon the traveler and the wheel traveling upon the track affords an easy means for transferring the board.

The member that I refer to as the dropping device, consists of a pivoted frame upon which the leather stretching board is adapted to be engaged while the board and frame are in a vertical position. The frame may then be partially rotated lowering the boardto a horizontal position and in line withthe leather stretching machine.

1 The dropping device comprises a rectangular floor frame of liberal area as indicated by 10, and upwardly extending therefrom parallel and vertical supports 11 and 12. Through the upper end of these supports a rod 13 is passed, and upon this rod I arrange a plurality of parallel bars 14: and 15. These'bars, which may be of angle iron, secured together by suitable cross-pieces 16 and by webs .17 and 18, so that they are held in permanent and firm alinement. rarily secured between the angle irons 14 and 15 and adjacent to the lower end thereof, I arrange counterweights 19 which may be any desirable number of solid blocks of metal aggregating a weight sufficient to nearly balance. the whole rotatable. member upon the rod Tempo- 413. At theupper end ofthe Y a is about centered upon the bars 14 and 15 I secure brackets 20 and 21, and between those brackets a short length of track 22 is firmly secured. pivotal frame is in a vertical position as shown in Fig. coincides with, and becomes a portion of the permanent overhead trolley track 9. hen, however, the rotatable frame is in the horizontal position shown in Fig. l, the removal of the short length of track 22 will leave a gap or space in the track 9. lVhen the rotatable framesupporting the board 30 islowered to a horizontal position, it may be supported at the proper level by an adjusting orflrest-block 23, which may be placed or secured upon one end of the leather stretching machine and upon this block the bra ckets 20 and 21, will engage with suflicient lirmness to support the inner end of the pivotal frame.

To operate my device, a traveler 8 is engaged upon the track 9 and a board 2 is, by means of the eye 6, secured upon the hook 7 which is supported in the traveler 8. The board and traveler are now moved until the traveler is upon the section 22 of the track, and the board pivotal frame and between the side members or bars 14 and 15 thereof. The operator may then pull the frame away from the track and lower it to a horizontal position, with the brackets 20 and 21 resting upon the block 23. In

' this position the hook 7 may be disengaged from the eye 6, and the traveler removed if this is desirable. The board will then be found to be at rest upon a plurality ofgrollers 24; and 25 which are supported in brackets 26 and 27, in turn secured to the side frames 14: and 15. A side or sheet of leather may now be engaged in the clamps 3 and drawn across the webs 55 to be engaged in the movable clamp 4. In this position the tension creating device of the leather stretching machine is engaged with the clamp l and a desirable and necessary strain applied thereto. When the stretching isrcomplete and the clamp 4: has been secured in the ordinary manner, the tension creating means is disengaged and the hook 7, and the traveler 8 returned to position, if they have been removed, and the dropper once more partially rotated on its pivot 13 to the vertical position that will cause the track section 22 to register and coincide with the track section 8 and the board, now supported by the traveler 8 and hook. 7, is removed to a convenient drying or storing rack and another board may be placed in position for operation.

The great advantageof my device, is its convenience in operation. It provides a means for the ready handling of that rather awkward member, a leather. stretching board, and handles it in a Way entirely sat- WVhen the 2 the short length of track 22 eler the single or double track, round or square barred style, andthat the supporting frame may be of. aheight, and the rotatable frame of a length to allow them to operate successfully regardlessofthe length of the board, the height of the ceiling or any other permanent. dimensions that it is desirable. or necessary to consider. Other modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims. without departing from the principle or sacrificingthe advantages of the invention.

Having carefullyand fully dcscribedmy invention, whatl claim and desire to se cure by Letters Patent is: y

l. A leather stretcher comprising aboard member having a plurality of clamps, a wheel bracket adapted to be temporarily engaged with said board and to support said board,a suspended track along which said bracket may be moved, .a stationary frame adjacent to and track and having a rotatable portion adapted to receive said board, said rotatable'part having a "plurality of rollers upon which said board is adjustable longitudinally.

2. A leather stretching device described comprising an overhead trolley track, having a removable section and pivoted and counterweighted stationary support for said removablesection, said support being adapted toreceive. astretching board and tosup port it during the stretching operation, as herein specified and for the purpose set forth. 7 y

- 3. A device of the character described comprising a leather stretching board having a traveler temporarily engaged therewith, an overhead trolley track upon which said traveler is adapted to be moved and a removable section in said trackindepcndent of said traveler, said section being. adapted to be rotated out'of or into alinement with said-track upon the engagement of the travs therewith and means for rotating said section out of alinementwith said track and into position upon a stretching machine as herein specified and for the purpose set forth. f r i 4. A leather stretcher comprising a track, a bracket. having a wheel-movable upon said trackand a depending hook, a board adapted to be supported upon said hook, said under said board being provided with a plurality of tion of track, and a plurality of rollers, and clamps and a rotatable device supporting a board adapted to be movably engaged a section of said track and adapted to roupon said track section and supported upon tate said bracket and the end of the board said rollers. l

5 engaged therewith into a position adjacent Signed at Philadelphia, Penn, this 5th to a stretching machine. day of May, 1914.

5. A leather stretcher comprising a CHARLES B LEONARD stretching device, a stationary frame adjacent thereto but independent thereof, a Witnesses:

10 portion of said frame being rotatable, and SAML S. MCGLOSKEY, provided with a bracket supporting a sec- ELSE M. LEONARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, .D. 6.? 

